New build issue

[pdw8]

I'm having an issue with a new build system that I just cannot understand. It boots into Vista fine and I can do normal tasks like web and watching videos. When I start a game it lasts for about 2 minutes then the screen is covered in artifacts and within another minute freezes and I have to reboot the PC.

I have tried latest and old Nvidia drivers, motherboard drivers, bios, and in both vista and XP (dual boot system) OS. Rivatuner shows the GPU temparatures (not within game) at around 40-45 degrees and the cpu temp is around the same on low load.
All the fans are spinning and airflow is fine. Everything is at stock speeds and voltages.

Rig is as follows:
Q6600 currently at stock
Tuniq Tower
EVGA 780i motherboard
2 x 2GB OCZ PC2-8500C5 1066Mhz dual channel kit
2 x 7800GT OC in SLi (both with 3rd party coolers fitted)(both only remaining parts from old rig)

SO have I missed something glaringly obvious here??

Thanks,
Paul

 

[closeratio]

I've had my 8800GT do this to me once or twice, although I've not had it happen for a while. It's like the whole screen freezes up and there's loads of green artifacts like you said all over it. With mine though it freezes as soon as the artifacts appear.

One thing I did get once or twice when it used to freeze up is some sort of system message that stated that there'd been some sort of driver error or somethin. But then after that I did have to restart my PC like you do.

Never did actually find the cause of it though. It stopped happening when I changed my OC by using Rivatuner instead of AtiTool, but I guess you can't exactly solve yours by doing that.

 

[Maccy]

Have you tried a single graphics card (and tried each separately)?